Movies

Question 1

Insipid (adj)

Answer 1

1foodordrinkthat is insipid does not have muchtasteSYNbland
an insipid pasta dish
2notinteresting,exciting, orattractive
insipid colours

Question 2

Uncork (verb)

Answer 2

to open abottlebyremovingitscork

Question 3

Allowance (noun)

Answer 3

1[countable usually singular]anamountof money that you are given regularly or for aspecialpurposea monthly/annual etc allowanceHis father gives him a monthly allowance of £200.allowance forDo youget an allowancefor clothes?Sales staff get a generous mileage allowance or a company car.If you are entitled to sickness allowance, you must claim it from your employer.
2[countable usually singular]an amount of something that isacceptableorsafethe recommendeddaily allowanceof Vitamin CPassengers’ baggage allowance is 75 pounds per person.

Question 4

play possum informal

Answer 4

Topretendto beasleepor dead so that someone will notannoyorhurtyou

Question 5

Sher‧pa/ˈʃɜːpə$ˈʃɜːr-/noun[countable]

Answer 5

a Himalayan person who is often employed toguidepeople throughmountainsand carry theirequipment

Question 6

thrilled/θrɪld/●●○adjective[not before noun]

Answer 6

veryexcited,happy, andpleased
be thrilled to see/hear/learn etc something
We were so thrilled to hear about the baby.
thrilled (that)I’m absolutely thrilled that you are coming.
thrilled about
He was thrilled about being asked to play.
thrilled to bits/pieces(=very thrilled)

Question 7

pes‧ter/ˈpestə$-ər/verb[intransitive, transitive]

Answer 7

toannoysomeone, especially by asking them manytimesto do something→harass
She’d been pestered by reporters for days.
pester somebody for something
I can’t even walk down the street without being continually pestered for money.
pester somebody to do something
The kids have been pestering me to buy them new trainers.

Question 8

cra‧dle1/ˈkreɪdl/noun

Answer 8

1[countable] a smallbedfor ababy, especially one that moves gently from side to side→cot
Sherockedthecradleto quieten the child.
2→the cradle of something
3→from (the) cradle to (the) grave
4[singular]the beginning of something
Like most Catholic children, he had heard stories of Irelandfrom the cradle.5[countable]astructurethat is used toliftsomething heavy up or down
a window-cleaner’s cradle

6[countable]the part of atelephonewhere you put thereceiverwhen you are not using it
She replaced the receiver on the cradle

Question 9

hail1/heɪl/●○○verb

Answer 9

1[transitive]todescribesomeone or something as being very goodhail somebody/something as something
Lang’s first film was immediately hailed as a masterpiece.
be hailed something
The new service has been
hailed a success.
A young man is being
hailed a herotonight after rescuing two children.
2[transitive]to call to someone in order togreetthem ortrytoattracttheirattention
She leaned out of the window and hailed a passerby.
hail a cab/taxi
The hotel doorman will hail a cab for you.

3→it hails→hail fromsomething

Question 10

bough/baʊ/noun[countable] literary

Answer 10

a mainbranchon a tree

Question 11

grove/ɡrəʊv$ɡroʊv/●○○noun

Answer 11

1[countable]a piece of land with trees growing on itgrove ofa smallgroveof beechtreesolive/lemon/palm etc grove
He owns an orange grove near Tel Aviv

Question 12

sa‧cred/ˈseɪkrɪd/●●○adjective

Answer 12

1relatingto agodorreligion
a sacred vowthe miraculous powers of sacred relicsCertain animals were considered sacred.
sacred to
The land is sacred to these tribesmen.
2very important or greatlyrespected
Human life is sacred.Frontiers which have held for over forty years are no longer sacred.
sacred to
Few things were sacred to Henry, but local history was one of them.He had no respect for everything Iheld sacred.

Question 13

sor‧row1/ˈsɒrəʊ$ˈsɑːroʊ, ˈsɔː-/●○○noun

Answer 13

1[uncountable]a feeling of greatsadness, usually because someone hasdiedor because somethingterriblehas happened to you→griefgreat/deep sorrow
a time of great sorrow
sorrow at
He expressed his sorrow at my father’s death.
sorrow for
Claudia felt a deep pang of sorrow for the woman.
RegisterIn everyday English, people usually saysadnessrather thansorrow:
She talked about hersadnessafter his death.

2[countable]aneventorsituationthat makes you feel great sadness
the family’s joys and sorrows

Question 14

fate/feɪt/●○○noun

Answer 14

1[countable usually singular]the things that happen to someone or something, especiallyunpleasantthings that end theirexistenceor end a particular period
I wouldn’t wish such a fate on my worst enemy.
fate of
No one knows what the fate of the hostages will be.
2[uncountable]a power that is believed to control what happens in people’s lives
Fate plays cruel tricks sometimes.
a twist/quirk of fate(=something unexpected that happens)
By astrange twist of fate, Smith’s first match is against the team that gave him the sack last season

Question 15

pre‧vail/prɪˈveɪl/●○○verb[intransitive]formal

Answer 15

1if abelief,custom,situationetc prevails, itexistsamong a group of people at acertaintimeprevail in/among etc
the economic conditions which prevail in England and WalesI admired the creativity which prevailed among the young writers.2if a person, idea, orprincipleprevails in afight,argumentetc, they aresuccessfulin the end
Justice will prevail.
common sense prevails/reason prevails(=a sensible decision is made)
He considered lying, but then common sense prevailed.
prevail over/against
Your inner strength will enable you to prevail over life’s obstacles.

Question 16

hea‧then1/ˈhiːðən/adjectiveold-fashioned

Answer 16

Notconnectedwith or belonging to theChristianreligionor any of the largeestablishedreligions

Question 17

ale/eɪl/noun[uncountable]

Answer 17

1a type ofbeermade frommalt(1)

2old-fashionedbeer

Question 18

oar/ɔː$ɔːr/noun[countable]

Answer 18

1a longpolewith awideflatbladeat one end, used forrowingaboat→paddle
2→put/stick/get your oar in

Question 19

de‧feat1/dɪˈfiːt/●●●W3noun[countable, uncountable]

Answer 19

1failureto win orsucceed
defeat in
The socialist party suffered a crushing defeat in the elections.She was a woman who hated to admit defeat.
2victoryover someone or something
defeat of
The defeat of the army was followed by the establishment of constitutional government.

Question 20

pre‧vail/prɪˈveɪl/●○○verb[intransitive]formal

Answer 20

1if abelief,custom,situationetc prevails, itexistsamong a group of people at acertaintime.

prevail in/among etc
the economic conditions which prevail in England and WalesI admired the creativity which prevailed among the young writers.

2if a person, idea, orprincipleprevails in afight,argumentetc, they aresuccessfulin the end
Justice will prevail.

common sense prevails/reason prevails(=a sensible decision is made)
He considered lying, but then common sense prevailed.

prevail over/against
Your inner strength will enable you to prevail over life’s obstacles.

Question 21

plun‧der1/ˈplʌndə$-ər/verbwritten

Answer 21

1[intransitive, transitive]tosteallarge amounts of money orpropertyfrom somewhere, especially whilefightingin awar
The rich provinces of Asia Minor were plundered by the invaders.
2[transitive]to use up all or most of thesuppliesof something in acarelessway
Unlicensed fishermen have plundered tuna stocks.

the egotism of man as he plunders our planet

Question 22

plunder2noun[uncountable]written

Answer 22

1things that have been stolen during aviolentattack, especially during a war
Henry’s army returned loaded down with plunder.2theactof plundering
fear of invasion and plunder

Question 23

bare1/beə$ber/●●○adjective

Answer 23

1WITHOUT CLOTHESnot covered by clothesSYNnaked
a ragged child with bare feet.
She felt the warm sun on her bare arms.
bare-headed/bare-chested/bare-legged etc

2LAND/TREESnot covered by trees orgrass, or not having any leaves
The trees soon gave way to bare rock.

3NOT COVERED/EMPTYempty, not covered by anything, or not having anydecorations
She looked round her tiny bare room.
a bare wood staircase

Question 24

stran‧gle/ˈstræŋɡəl/verb[transitive]

Answer 24

1tokillsomeone by pressing theirthroatwith your hands, aropeetc→chokestrangle with
The victim had been strangled with a belt.2tolimitorpreventthegrowthordevelopmentof something
Mills argues that high taxation strangles the economy.

Question 25

step‧son/ˈstepsʌn/noun[countable]

Answer 25

asonthat yourhusbandorwifehas from a relationship before yourmarriage

Question 26

pig‧styˈpɪɡstaɪ/noun(pluralpigsties)[countable]

Answer 26

1a building wherepigsare keptSYNpigpenAmerican English
2informal
a verydirtyoruntidyplaceSYNpigpenAmerican English
The house was a pigsty, as usual.

Question 27

seize/siːz/●●○W3verb[transitive]

Answer 27

1to take hold of something suddenly and violentlySYNgrab
Suddenly, he seized my hand.
seize something from somebody
Maggie seized the letter from her.
►RegisterIn everyday English, people usually saygraborgrab hold ofrather thanseize:Shegrabbed hold ofhis hand.

2to take control of a place suddenly and quickly, usingmilitaryforceseize power/control (of something)
The rebels have seized power.A group of soldiers seized the airport.

3if the police or governmentofficersseize something, forexampleillegaldrugs, they takelegalpossessionof it.
160,000 CDs were seized from illegal factories.
All of myassetswereseized, including my home.

4to suddenlycatchsomeone and makesurethey cannot get away
The gunmen were seized at 1 am.

Question 28

sal‧va‧tion/sælˈveɪʃən/noun[uncountable]

Answer 28

1something thatpreventsorsavessomeone or something fromdanger,loss, orfailurebe somebody’s/something’s salvation
A drug treatment program was Ron’s salvation.
salvation of
The Internet turned out to be the salvation of the company.
2in theChristianreligion, the state of being saved fromevil

Question 29

in‧tem‧per‧ate/ɪnˈtempərət/adjectiveformal

Answer 29

1intemperatelanguageorbehaviourshows alackof control, which other people think isunacceptable
the judge’s intemperate outburst
2regularlydrinkingtoo muchalcohol

Question 30

dis‧mayed/dɪsˈmeɪd/adjective

Answer 30

worried,disappointed, andupsetwhen somethingunpleasanthappens
dismayed to see/discover/learn etc
Ruth was dismayed to see how thin he had grown.
dismayed at/by
They were dismayed at the cost of the repairs.
dismayed that
We are dismayed that the demonstration was allowed to take place.

Question 31

heave1/hiːv/●○○verb

Answer 31

1PULLLIFT[intransitive,transitive]
topullorliftsomething veryheavywith one greateffort
heave somebody/something out of/into/onto etc something
Alan heaved his suitcase onto his bed.
Mary heaved herself out of bed.
heave on/atBritish English
We had to heave on the rope holding the anchor to get it on board.2THROW[transitive]tothrowsomething heavy using a lot of effort
John heaved the metal bar over the fence.

3→heave a sigh
4MOVE UP AND DOWN[intransitive]to move up and down with very strongmovements
Michael’s shoulders heaved with silent laughter.
The sea heaved up and down beneath the boat.
5VOMIT[intransitive]informaltovomit

Question 32

hoist1/hɔɪst/(alsohoist up)verb[transitive]

Answer 32

1toraise,lift, orpullsomething up, especially usingropes
The crew hurried to hoist the flag.
2→be hoist with/by your own petard

Question 33

a‧tone/əˈtəʊn$əˈtoʊn/verb[intransitive]formal

Answer 33

to do something to show that you aresorryfor having done somethingwrong.
atone for
Richard was anxious to atone for his thoughtlessness.

Question 34

u‧nan‧i‧mous/juːˈnænɪməs/●○○adjective

Answer 34

1a unanimousdecision,vote,agreementetc is one in which all the peopleinvolvedagree
It was decided by a unanimous vote that the school should close.
almost/virtually unanimous
The decision to appoint Matt was almost unanimous.
2agreeing completely about somethingunanimous in (doing) something
The banks were unanimous in welcoming the news.

Question 35

Clamity

Answer 35

1

Question 36

Cattle

Answer 36

cowsandbullskept on afarmfor theirmeatormilk

Question 37

Wet nurse

Answer 37

a woman paid to give herbreastmilkto another woman’sbaby

Question 38

In the Saddle

Answer 38

a)ridingahorseWe did six or eight hours in the saddle every day.b)in a position in which you have power orauthorityHe always has to be in the saddle, controlling everything.

Question 39

Bewitch

Answer 39

be‧witch/bɪˈwɪtʃ/verb[transitive]1to make someone feel so interested orattractedthat they cannot think clearlyTim is utterly bewitched by her.2to get control over someone byputtingamagicspellon them

Question 40

Console

Answer 40

to make someone feel better when they are feelingsadordisappointed→consolationNo one could console her when Peter died.console yourself with somethingShe consoled herself with the fact that no one else had done well in the exam either.console yourself thatHe consoled himself that he would see Kate again soon.

Question 41

Suffocate (verb)

Answer 41

1[intransitive, transitive]to die or make someone die bypreventingthem frombreathingThe animal seizes its prey by the throat and suffocates it to death.One of the puppies suffocated inside the plastic bag.2→be suffocating3[transitive]to prevent arelationship, plan, business etc from developing well or beingsuccessfulJealousy can suffocate any relationship.—suffocation/ˌsʌfəˈkeɪʃən/noun[uncountable]

Question 42

Heritage

Answer 42

her‧i‧tage1/ˈherətɪdʒ/●○○noun[singular, uncountable]1thetraditionalbeliefs,values,customsetc of a family, country, orsociety→inheritancethe importance of preserving the national heritagebeautiful old buildings which are part of our heritagecultural/architectural/literary etc heritagethe cultural heritage of Italy2→(of) mixed/multiple heritage

Question 43

Renounce

Answer 43

re‧nounce/rɪˈnaʊns/verb[transitive]1if you renounce an official position,title, right etc, you publicly say that you will not keep it anymoreSYNgive upEdward renounced his claim to the French throne.She renounced her citizenship.2to publicly say or show that you no longer believe in something, or will no longerbehavein a particular waySYNreject, →renunciationThese groups must renounce violence if there is to be progress towards peace.Young people renounced capitalism in favour of peace and love.